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Carr is Second Generation Achiever

AMES, Iowa-Back when Iowa State wrestler Nate Carr won three NCAA titles from 1981-83, his name was a household word among Cyclone fans.* Now, in 2010, that name is back.* This time the wrestler is not Nate Carr Sr., but his son Nate Carr Jr.

Nate Carr Jr. is in his senior year at Iowa State and hopes to accomplish his lofty goals during his last season.* He is already off to a great start, sitting 9-1 and ranked 16th in the country at 149 pounds.

The motivated wrestler grew up in Gray, Ga. as the oldest of seven siblings.* Nate Jr. was home-schooled, and began wrestling in the ninth grade.* His father, Nate Sr., coached him and was an inspirational and accomplished source.

"He used to coach West Virginia University, and he would take me in, I was like 7 or 8, and I would just watch them during wrestling practice," Carr Jr. said. "It has always kind of been in my blood to wrestle and have fun."

After winning three Georgia state championships while in high school, Carr traveled to Iowa Central Community College, where he spent his first years of collegiate schooling and was the 2007 National Junior College 157-pound champion.

Multiple colleges were recruiting Carr Jr., and he narrowed his choices down to Iowa State and Iowa.* He decided to finish at Iowa State, where his family had started and where he felt at home.

"Cael Sanderson was head coach at the time, and he really wanted me to come here to kind of fulfill what the history of the Carr family had been and meant to Iowa State," Carr Jr. said.* "My dad wrestled here and my two uncles wrestled here at one point.* I just wanted to continue the legacy that they started."

Carr Sr. was happy to know his son was heading to Iowa State.
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"It's exciting from the stand point that I wrestled there and it's a school he wanted to attend," the elder Carr said. "I'm looking forward to him having a great year and he seems to have had a good start."

Carr Jr. is having a great season.* He had a huge win against Virginia Tech on Nov. 6, when he managed to escape from Brian Stephens, sending the match into overtime.* Carr Jr. then scored a takedown, claiming the victory for Iowa State that helped the Cyclones win 17-16. He wrestled in his first Iowa state-Iowa match on Dec. 3, and won by 13-3 major decision against Jeret Chiri.*

Carr Jr. is fired up about his last season. He is setting high goals.

"I am looking to be national champ, nothing else, nothing less," Carr Jr. said. "I have to get better every day and that's the goal."

Of course being a national champ is in every wrestler's mind, but some don't have the will to train like one.* Carr Jr. is a determined individual, and if he can keep winning, the rest will follow.

Iowa State head coach Kevin Jackson has faith in Carr Jr.'s vision of going all the way.

"We expect him to continue to get better, continue to compete like a champion, continue to win matches, and give himself the best opportunity to be a national champion and All-American," Jackson said.

Carr Sr. is currently the head administrator of wrestling at Team Prodigy, a sports facility in Ohio, and he appreciates his son's improvement.

"I think there's nothing wrong with dreaming and trying to be your very best, and that's what he's done.* I'm proud, as a father, to have a son like Nate Jr," said Carr Sr.

Carr Jr. has big goals, and a strong support system under him. His dreams are within his reach.